


Together, Dearest

by Stargazing_Psalmist



Category: Tales of Arcadia (Cartoons)
Genre: Big Bro Douxie, Brother-Sister Relationships, Douxie is Soft, Family Snuggles, Fluff, Found Family, Hope, Hopeful, Hugs all the hugs, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Nightmares, Oneshot, Softest Wizard Boi, The Magical Siblings, kind of a song fic, platonic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-10
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-16 17:20:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29953314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stargazing_Psalmist/pseuds/Stargazing_Psalmist
Summary: Often times all Nari can see is herself all by her lonesome. A heart stranded, isolated, by pain and affliction. No mercy. No grace. No amount of remorse will prevent her from reaping what she has sown. As it should be. As it will be inevitably, surely.Douxie believes differently. He wants Nari to believe it, too.
Relationships: Hisirdoux "Douxie" Casperan & Nari
Comments: 3
Kudos: 13





	Together, Dearest

**Author's Note:**

  * For [NikiBogwater](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NikiBogwater/gifts).



_ The sky was red.  _

_ Nari stood at the top of a hill, taking in the vast expanse of utter devastation. Miles upon endless miles of wasteland. Haunting, broken silhouettes of dead trees. Deep cracks splintering the dry, ashened earth. Fires big and small burning like clusters of wicked and ravenous demons. In the distance, the looming husk of a destroyed city. Smoke was billowing above the ragged skyline. _

_ Nari drew a shaking breath when her feet touched the ground, ice-cold despite the heat. A road littered with wreckage. Glass from shattered windows. Crumbling buildings empty, hollow, the exposed blackness within like gaping wounds or screaming faces. Cars smashed and overturned. A lone baby stroller on its side, the inside hidden by torn, draping fabric. _

_ Nari sensed nothing. Only the suffocating heat of fire. The excruciating stab of the cold. She started to run and slammed into the door to their apartment. _

_ “Oh, what…” Nari backed away, then rushed the door, knocking with utmost urgency. “Douxie? Douxie!” Nari sensed nothing. Except the painful pounding in her chest and the sharp stinging in her eyes. “Douxie!” _

_ The moment she stopped knocking, the door creaked open. Nari hesitated before pushing it all the way open only to reveal more darkness. Every drop of light left in the world seemed to illuminate the apartment. It was faint, barely as bright as a single candle.  _

_ Everything was as they’d left it. Nari’s blankets in a pile on the ground. Archie’s half-eaten can of salmon on the sofa. Douxie’s guitar propped against the back cushions.  _

_ There was a dripping sound. Not a ping like water, but with the splattering of something thick and sticky. Nari looked up. Just as she made out the shape of a wing grotesquely pinned to the ceiling, before she could scream, there was a familiar voice. _

_ “Nari…” _

_ “Douxie?!” Nari snapped her gaze back down, frantically looking around, squinting into the shadows.  _

_ “Nari…” _

_ She whirled around and there he was. That tall figure clad in a black hoodie was all Nari needed, and she surged forward, throwing her arms around him. Nari burrowed into his chest, squeezing him tight. _

_ “Nari…” _

_ “Douxie, I— !!!!” Nari lifted her head and sucked in a breath, horrified. His golden eyes were lifeless, dull. What should have been blue strands of hair were black and sticky with the streams of blood trickling down his face. His face. A face Nari had come to love….The entire right side now a mask of burnt flesh. And then she noticed the hole in Douxie’s chest, seared right through his heart, the wound pulsating ominously with streaks of fiery red magic. _

_ As Douxie sank to his knees and collapsed into her arms, Nari saw two devils. One red, one blue. Their grins wide. Their gross, spindly hands reaching, spinning fire and ice. _

_ The devils’ faces contorted into bulging eyes and gaping maws crowded with rows of jagged teeth. They screeched into her face, Bellroc fisting her hair and Skrael gripping her throat. _

**_“NARI!!!!!!”_ **

* * *

It was as if an unseen hand had been pushing Nari down against the floor, so hard that her back was flat against the ground despite her cocoon of blankets. She was ripped from sleep, gasping for enormous gulps of air. Her body was seized with violent shivers, her blankets trembling with her. Her teeth were chattering. Her face was wet with tears. Nari slowly unfurled from her cocoon, sitting up to look around. The light of midday shone softly through the windows. The clock was ticking. The faucet dripped. Nari’s collection of plants bathed in the sunlight. 

Nari, still quivering, scanned over the living room. Archie’s can of tuna on the sofa. Douxie’s guitar on the cushions. The remains of junk food piled neatly on the ground, empty chip bags and microwave dinner plates atop of an old pizza box. And yet, if Nari blinked, suddenly all of it vaporized. Suddenly there was fire and cold and darkness. Suddenly her home was gone. Her friends.  _ Her family _ —

Nari’s attention flew to the door at the sound of two muffled, familiar voices and the jingling of keys. Bits of conversation filtered in as the door was pushed open.

“...and I, for one, am opposed to sticking objects of any sort into my eyes!,” Archie said, hopping down from Douxie’s shoulders once he stepped inside.

Douxie rolled his eyes. “You think glasses look cooler, Arch, just admit — Oh…” Douxie trailed off as he set a handful of plastic grocery bags down on the sofa. He smiled warmly at Nari, pushing the apartment door shut. “Sorry if we woke you, Nari. Did you have a good nap — OOF!!”

Douxie was nearly thrown back against the wall at the force with which Nari barreled into him, her arms tightly secured around his waist. She was wailing into his shirt before he could comprehend what was happening.

“Nari!” Archie said, alarmed. “Are you alright?”

The initial shock being ebbed away by Nari’s sobs, Douxie’s arms relaxed around her, one arm wrapping around her small, trembling shoulders while the other cradled the back of her head. 

“Nari…,” Douxie whispered, expression filled with worry. “Nari, darling, what is it? What’s the matter….Whoa, whoa, _ easy _ …” Douxie dropped down to one knee as Nari, still clinging to him, began to collapse, dead featherweight in his arms. He fell back to sit against the wall as Nari’s legs completely gave out beneath her, sliding out to the side of her. Her arms moved from around his waist to lean against his chest, her small hands gripping his hoodie like a lifeline.

“Douxie…,” Nari whimpered, another wave of fresh tears cascading down her face.  _ “Douxie…!” _

“Shhh, darling, I’m right here...I…” Douxie paused, the sound of Nari’s crying making his heart ache. He made his voice small and soft. “Can you tell me what happened?”

“T-they...They d-d-destroyed _ everything _ …,” Nari choked out, squeezing Douxie closer, leaning her head up into his neck. She let out a pained, agonized wheeze. “They k-killed...killed A-Archie….Killed y-you…Killed you b-b-both….” Nari was seized with more violent sobs, curling into Douxie further as if she were trying to disappear.

Douxie stared down at the small forest goddess, taking in her words. Hugging her close, Douxie and Archie shared looks of somber understanding. Archie padded forward, climbing onto Douxie’s leg and headbutting Nari’s back, rubbing against her and purring. Archie settled down into a loafing position, remaining pressed against Nari.

“It was only a dream, Nari,” Archie said softly. “As you can see, we are both alive and well.”

Nari shook her head rapidly against Douxie’s collarbone. “No...No, no, no...I have put you in danger...Y-you will be k-killed because of  _ me _ ...I-I am not worth it...I am n-not…”

“Nari,  _ please, _ ” Douxie pleaded, hugging her firm. He shut his eyes, tears of his own threatening to spill. “Please don’t say that. I said I would protect you and I will. Even if the world wasn’t at stake, _ I’ll protect you, Nari. _ ” Another squeeze, Douxie pressing his cheek to the top of her head. “If it’s the last thing I do.” Archie purred louder.

Douxie’s words were seeds piercing deep into Nari’s heart, taking root. Blooming and flourishing, beautiful. Yet painful as they broke her apart. She sighed heavily into Douxie’s chest, her tears everflowing. Because Nari knew. Nari knew whatever she chose, there would be anguish. Stay with the Order and the world she adored would perish. Run from the Order…

And those dearest to her would suffer.

_ Dearest to me… _ Even so, Nari clung to Douxie, to his gentleness and warmth, the kindness that glowed within his spirit, because it was all she had. All she had ever wanted, even if it was only a matter of time before it was torn away from her.

A moment passed, silent aside from Nari hiccuping. Then, Douxie began to rock ever so slightly side to side. First was a gentle hum. Then he began to sing, his voice soft and light as air, no louder than a whisper.

_ Paper daisies to explain _

_ Sunshine always follows rain _

_ And a heart that’s sweet and true _

_ Will help us weather the weather _

_ That’s what keeps us together… _

Nari pulled away enough to gaze up at him, eyes still moist but now soft with wonder as she pondered the words. Douxie smiled that tender smile of his. His arms slipped from around her, one hand coming to rest on her back, rubbing gentle circles with his thumb, while the other rose to caress Nari’s cheek, smoothing away a few of her tears. He then combed his hand through Nari’s hair, placing a soft kiss on her head, just at the base of her antler. Douxie continued to hum, his lovely, soothing tone lulling Nari into a calmer state. Douxie held her close again, swaying slightly, and kept singing.

_ Candy hearts and paper flowers _

_ Sunshine days and skies of blue _

_ Rhymes and songs we sing for hours _

_ Words to say…… _

“I love you true…,” Douxie finished, then gasped. The words struck his heart like a clap of thunder, overwhelmed with just how much he meant them. Douxie curled in on himself, snuggling Nari even closer. His little Nari. “I love you.”

It was a promise. It surged and churned deep within Douxie’s spirit, overflowing and spilling into his aura. Nari worried her lower lip, squeezing her eyes shut, more tears trickling down her face. But these tears were different.

“I also...love you, Douxie,” she sniveled, wiping her face with the back of her hand. “So very much.” There was a small weight on her side, and Nari chuckled and opened her arms as Archie stepped into the space between them. She rubbed her nose and wiped her tears against his fur. “And you, Archie. Thank you…”

“Of course, dear,” Archie purred, kneading her arm.

Nari gazed up at Douxie, fully leaning laxed against him, her head resting on his shoulder. 

Her dear, dear Douxie.

“Your song...Will you sing it again?” 

Douxie laughed softly. “Can’t say no to an encore, now can I?”

Hugging Archie to her chest, Nari listened again to those sweet words and Douxie’s lilting voice. 

Nari knew. She knew the hardships they would face, the consequences of what she’d done. She knew. But in the light of Douxie’s love and forgiveness, she also knew….Well, she had  _ hope _ that all would be better than it once was. And that for now, though she prayed forever, they could stay this way.

No matter what was coming.

No matter what came after.

They would be together.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope y'all enjoyed this! Oof, it's been so long since I posted here lol. Hopefully that'll change sooooon.....??? Buuut anyhow, this was for my dear friend NikiBogwater, the Mother of the Magical Siblings teehee. Give her lots of love everyone! Until next time~ Blessings ^_^


End file.
